1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ceramic utensils, particularly to ceramic kitchen utensils, such as, cookware and tableware having an earthenware base coated with a substantially non-porous fired coating of terra sigillata and used in the preparation and/or serving of foodstuffs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Earthenware kitchen utensils, such as baking, cooking and serving vessels and tableware, such as, plates and cups made from a mixture of starting materials comprising china clay, ball clay, flint and feldspar are well-known. See, for example, Chemical Technology: An Encyclopedia Treatment, Dr. J. F. Van Oss, Vol. II, pages 293-313, "Whiteware", for a description of such prior art products and materials and practices used in their manufacture.
In the above copending application, of which the present inventor is a co-inventor, there is disclosed and claimed ceramic cookware, particularly an improved ceramic breadpan, comprising a shaped, fired ceramic body preferably made from Alfred shale and coated with a fired Alfred shale terra sigillata coating composition wherein the Alfred shale terra sigillata coating closes only a portion of the pores of the surface of the body, such as 30% to 95%, and preferably only about 30% to 60% of the pores. The Alfred shale terra sigillata serves there to aid in the ready release of bread from the ceramic breadpan while permitting the ceramic body to impart to the bread a brick oven bread appearance and flavor. A non-porous ceramic utensil of the present invention, because of its non-porous Alfred shale terra sigillata surface, does not provide a means for making a baked bread product with the same taste qualties of the brick oven bread baked in the ceramic breadpan of the above copending application. However, the ceramic utensil of the present invention has enhanced non-sticking properties as more fully described herein.